Food

It is wise to live as healthy as possible during your pregnancy. Substantial research shows that diet can have positive or negative effects during pregnancy for the health of the baby. But there are many myths about eating in pregnancy. That is why we give clear advice to ensure that the baby has a healthy start.

Food

Do not eat roast beef, filet americain, tartar, carpaccio or other raw meat. Meat such as raw ham, smoked meat, bacon and sausage are safe.
Wash all vegetables well.
Make sure that prepared food does not come into contact with raw foods.
Do not eat soft cheese from raw milk.
Be careful with smoked salmon and other fish that are vacuum packed.
Take in a multivitamin for pregnant women

No. Do you always eat healthy? Then you hardly have to change anything in your pregnancy. You do not have to eat more. You may not eat a number of things. You can read more about this below.

How much food do you need on average during pregnancy?

6-7 sandwiches, preferably wholemeal bread
200 grams of potatoes, rice, pasta or legumes. That is about 4 serving spoons.
200 grams of vegetables. That is about 4 serving spoons.
2 pieces of fruit.
450 milliliters of milk products.
30 grams of cheese. That is about 1.5 large slabs.
100 to 125 grams of meat, meat products, fish, egg and meat substitutes.
30-35 grams of low-fat margarine for bread
15 grams (1 tablespoon) of liquid baking and frying products.
1.5-2 liters of water, tea without theine, and other beverages.

Listeria

Listeria is a bacterium that occurs frequently in the water, in the soil, in cattle feed and in poop. You can get the bacteria in your body through raw and smoked foods. But the bacterium can also occur on the kitchen counter, in the dishwashing brush or in the dishcloth. If you eat something that accidentally contains the listeria bacteria, you may get food poisoning. This food poisoning can be harmful to your child. The chance that you get food poisoning from listeria is pretty small. However, it is better not to eat foods that may contain listeria.

In which products can listeria be found?

Soft cheese made from raw milk. Cheese from raw milk can be recognized by the designation 'au lait cru' on the packaging. Is there nothing on the label? Then the cheese is made from pasteurized milk. You can eat it then. Most soft cheeses in the Netherlands are made from pasteurized milk. They are therefore safe. Dutch farmers cheese is also made from raw milk. Yet you can eat this cheese safely. It is a hard cheese. In this listeria can not survive.
Products that you have to keep refrigerated, for example ready-made meals and salads. The longer you keep it, the more likely that the listeria bacterium will enter. That is why it is better to eat these products quickly after you have bought them.
Vacuum-packed fish, such as smoked salmon. These fish species in a vacuum package can be stored for a long time. But as a result, more and more listeria bacteria can enter. So much that it can be harmful. That's why you have to be careful with this fish. Use these fish only in hot dishes: if the fish gets hotter than 85 degrees, the listeria bacteria die. So do not eat vacuum-packed smoked fish in cold dishes or on toast. Also pay attention to how long fish and meat can be kept. Are you in doubt? Do not eat it then.

Toxoplasmosis

The toxoplasma gondii is a parasite. This parasite causes the infectious disease toxoplasmosis. If you are infected, you can get all kinds of vague complaints. For example:

fatigue
listlessness
thick glands
fever
skin rash

Often you do not know that you are infected. The disease is over after a few weeks or months. Your body has then made antibodies: you are immune to toxoplasmosis. If you become infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, your child may develop a serious infection. There is nothing to do about that. Most people do not know if they are immune to toxoplasmosis. And with a test you often do not know for sure. Therefore, try to prevent infection if you are pregnant.

Where can the toxoplasmosis parasite be?

In raw meat and on raw vegetables. Therefore, your vegetables were very good. And fry the meat well. It should not be red anymore on the inside. Do not eat products made from raw meat, such as roast beef, filet americain, tartar or carpaccio.
In cat poop. Therefore, have someone else change the litter box during pregnancy. Is that not possible? Then use gloves and wash the gloves before pulling them out. Then wash your hands. You can of course also use disposable gloves. Also use gloves during gardening and wash your hands afterwards.

Vegetarian food during pregnancy is no problem. But pay extra attention to getting enough vitamin B and iron. Vitamin B is made from wholegrain products, potatoes, legumes, eggs, dairy products and meat substitutes. Eat these products regularly.
Notify us if you eat (mainly) vegetarian or vegan. We will then do extra blood tests.
Do you not eat any animal products, such as milk, cheese and eggs? Then we advise you to go to a dietitian. The dietitian can assess whether your body gets enough vitamins, minerals and building materials.

Products with a lot of iron: brown bread, wholemeal bread, rye bread, muesli, wholemeal macaroni, brown rice, wholemeal rusks, potatoes, all kinds of legumes, all kinds of vegetables, nuts, apple syrup.

If you take folic acid, you have a smaller chance that your child will have a spina bifida. This chance is about half less than if you do not take folic acid. Because an spina bifida has to do with the nervous system of the child. That nervous system is made immediately after conception, and folic acid is needed to make it.

During pregnancy it is important to have sufficient folic acid in your body. Unfortunately, there is not enough of that in your food. Not even if you eat very healthy. Therefore it is important to swallow tablets with folic acid during pregnancy. It is best to start with this as early as possible: from the moment you want to become pregnant. If you are ten weeks pregnant, you can stop taking folic acid tablets.